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Efficacy of baths with mineral-medicinal water in patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized clinical trial

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Abstract

The layout of this study, designed as a randomized crossover clinical trial, is to evaluate the efficacy of an intervention with mineral-medicinal water from As Burgas (Ourense) in patients suffering from fibromyalgia. This sample was randomly divided into two groups: group A and group B. In phase 1, group A had 14 baths in thermal water for a month and standard pharmacological treatment; group B, standard pharmacological treatment. Washout period is 3 months. In phase 2, group A had standard treatment and group B had 14 baths in thermal water for a month plus standard treatment. The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) was used; this grades the impact of the illness from 1 (minimum) to 10 (maximum), which was measured in both phases. Twenty-five patients were included in each group and the study was concluded with 20 patients in group A and 20 in group B. The intervention group obtained, once the baths finished, a mean score of 60.3 (± 11.8) and the control group of 70.8 (± 13.0) (p < 0.001). Three months later, the intervention group presented a mean score of 64.4 (± 10.6) and the control group of 5.0 (± 11.3) (p < 0.001). We can therefore conclude that the simple baths with mineral-medicinal water from As Burgas can make an improvement on the impact caused by fibromyalgia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería de Ourense, SERGAS, Universidad de Vigo. Ourense, C/Ramón Puga 52-54, 32005, Ourense, Spain

    María Reyes Pérez-Fernández & Natalia Calvo-Ayuso

  2. Unidad de Metodología y Estadística, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Galicia Sur, Vigo, Spain

    Cristina Martínez-Reglero & Ángel Salgado-Barreira

  3. Centro de salud “A Cuña-Mariñamansa”, SERGAS, Ourense, Spain

    José Luis Muiño López-Álvarez

Authors
  1. María Reyes Pérez-Fernández
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  2. Natalia Calvo-Ayuso
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  3. Cristina Martínez-Reglero
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  4. Ángel Salgado-Barreira
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  5. José Luis Muiño López-Álvarez
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Correspondence to María Reyes Pérez-Fernández.

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Pérez-Fernández, M.R., Calvo-Ayuso, N., Martínez-Reglero, C. et al. Efficacy of baths with mineral-medicinal water in patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized clinical trial. Int J Biometeorol 63, 1161–1170 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-019-01729-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-019-01729-7

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